Losing Esperanza

Product Notes

Urban Folk. An Acoustic amalgamation. Ani Difranco meets Jack Johnson and Dave Mathews in a Southern Cali alley and freestyle. Lyrics! Troubadour returned. 'You should sing your woes, but you should move your toes'. Brook Lee is a Singer/Songwriter from Orange County California who believes 'a great song speaks your heart better than you can yourself, a great singer enunciates'. That's the goal. Brook's first foray into music was a 'multi-cultural hip-hop quartet'(a style evident in his writing even today) at the age of 15. Psychotic Twist of Rhythm played throughout Orange County from 1991 to 1995. Following a record deal that turned out to be neither, Brook moved to Edmonton (Alberta, Canada) to pursue various studies & perfect the frostbite goatee. This led to him playing drums in an alternative band called Seward's Folly (1996-1997) and eventually to him picking up a guitar. Around 1997, Brook changed focus a little bit. Using the influences he had picked up over the years, his growing skills on guitar and an uncanny sense of melody he started writing songs. Out of this early work came Bastard, a song that you owe to yourself to listen to. On the tail end of the obligatory European backpacking trip came a half year stint busking in the Temple Bar quarter of Dublin, Ireland. Brook quickly learned that nobody is going to give your music their attention. You command it-or you don't get it. So he played until they listened. Upon later returning home he formed Menace Sound Suite, a band that began the mold for what would eventually turn into solo work. They played locally and recorded but would eventually split. Brook says 'Band's are like girlfriends and my woman was spending too much time at the office (but I still love her)'. So he packed his songs and released them on Santa Ana based Independent label Distort-O-Sound Records. The Appropriately titled 'Sorry I'm Late', was developed over this period of two years and with it, Brook Lee defined his own brand of hybrid folk. Armed with this album he has played all over California as a one-man show, challenging both the 'more is more' theory & the 'acoustic coffee house cliché'. Most recently Brook was nominated for 2003 Orange County Music Awards in the categories of 'Best Male Performance' & 'Best Live Acoustic Male'. He is proud to have walked away with the latter. On his sophomore release 'Losing Esperanza' Brook continues on his journey to defining his own style. He plays guitar, bass, harmonica, keyboards and sings. With his trademark wit, rhythmic deliveries and a passion for all things heart felt he is still trying to sing your woes (so long as you move your toes).

Urban Folk. An Acoustic amalgamation. Ani Difranco meets Jack Johnson and Dave Mathews in a Southern Cali alley and freestyle. Lyrics! Troubadour returned. 'You should sing your woes, but you should move your toes'. Brook Lee is a Singer/Songwriter from Orange County California who believes 'a great song speaks your heart better than you can yourself, a great singer enunciates'. That's the goal. Brook's first foray into music was a 'multi-cultural hip-hop quartet'(a style evident in his writing even today) at the age of 15. Psychotic Twist of Rhythm played throughout Orange County from 1991 to 1995. Following a record deal that turned out to be neither, Brook moved to Edmonton (Alberta, Canada) to pursue various studies & perfect the frostbite goatee. This led to him playing drums in an alternative band called Seward's Folly (1996-1997) and eventually to him picking up a guitar. Around 1997, Brook changed focus a little bit. Using the influences he had picked up over the years, his growing skills on guitar and an uncanny sense of melody he started writing songs. Out of this early work came Bastard, a song that you owe to yourself to listen to. On the tail end of the obligatory European backpacking trip came a half year stint busking in the Temple Bar quarter of Dublin, Ireland. Brook quickly learned that nobody is going to give your music their attention. You command it-or you don't get it. So he played until they listened. Upon later returning home he formed Menace Sound Suite, a band that began the mold for what would eventually turn into solo work. They played locally and recorded but would eventually split. Brook says 'Band's are like girlfriends and my woman was spending too much time at the office (but I still love her)'. So he packed his songs and released them on Santa Ana based Independent label Distort-O-Sound Records. The Appropriately titled 'Sorry I'm Late', was developed over this period of two years and with it, Brook Lee defined his own brand of hybrid folk. Armed with this album he has played all over California as a one-man show, challenging both the 'more is more' theory & the 'acoustic coffee house cliché'. Most recently Brook was nominated for 2003 Orange County Music Awards in the categories of 'Best Male Performance' & 'Best Live Acoustic Male'. He is proud to have walked away with the latter. On his sophomore release 'Losing Esperanza' Brook continues on his journey to defining his own style. He plays guitar, bass, harmonica, keyboards and sings. With his trademark wit, rhythmic deliveries and a passion for all things heart felt he is still trying to sing your woes (so long as you move your toes).